Heart of Protection
by AkariSakumi
Summary: A girl's home is ripped away from her, and she decides she doesn't need one. But who is she really lying to, her friends, or herself? T for future language. SenrixOC
1. Chapter 1

Finally! I've had this one stuck in my head ever since I read it! For those of you sho know me, you're probably mad that I haven't update my other stuff. that's because I AM STUCK! Satan, thy name is Writer's Block! ...Anyway, Cooro? Would you do the honors?

**Cooro:**Akari doesn't own +Anima. Mukai Natsumi-san does.

* * *

"Man, when are we going to get to a town!" Nana cried exasperatedly for about the eleventh time that day. "I want to take a bath and sleep in a bed!"

Husky and Cooro sighed. Three years of traveling had hardly lessened the 13-year-old's attitude about camping. Cooro also wanted to take a short break from the road, but he'd managed to do a little growing up, and said nothing. Husky was trying to be stubborn, but that had also lessened enough to a point where he admitted silently to himself that a hot bath certainly wouldn't hurt. Senri said nothing.

The teenagers had certainly grown in the three years since the incident with Cooro and Fly. The boys, now 14, almost reached 21-year-old Senri's shoulders in height. They'd filled out in muscle a little, due to the odd jobs they'd take and, much to his relief, Husky could no longer be mistaken for a girl. Nana, who would also be turning 14 soon, had filled out and grown up a bit, but no one really noticed, since she continued to wear loose, comfortable dresses for travel. She'd also grown taller, but still only reached the boys' noses.

Senri suddenly stopped and halfway turned around, looking back the way they'd come. Cooro noticed he'd stopped and, turning towards him, asked, "What's up Senri?", getting the attention of the other two.

"Dust…." Senri simply replied, pointing down the road. Looking, the teens did see a cloud of dust approaching pretty quickly.

"Another traveler?" Nana asked.

"If it is, then there's either a lot of them or their traveling really fast." Cooro remarked. "That's a lot of dust."

"Let's get off the road." Husky suggested. "If they are going fast, they might not see us or be able to stop."

Not five minutes after they'd gotten off to the side, the source of the dust cloud, which was almost the same color as the dirt it was kicking up, whizzed past, so fast that they only caught glimpses of it.

"I guess it was a mail-carrier," Nana said as they stepped back onto the path. "I definitely saw a messenger bag."

"Me too." Husky agreed.

"I think it was a woman. I'm almost sure I saw a long black ponytail." Cooro added. Then, seeing Senri looking at the ground, asked him what was up again.

"Hoof prints…." He replied, then resumed his occupation of staring into space.

"So I guess it was a mail-woman on a horse." Husky concluded.

"Ooh, I love horses!" Nana squealed. "Let's go! Maybe we'll catch up with her if she takes a break." She added, starting off down the path again. Cooro and Senri followed. Husky sighed again. It would be very unlikely that they'd catch ever catch up with someone going that fast. 'But at least she'll stop complaining for a while.' he thought to himself as he caught up with the others.

* * *

Hibari sighed as she sat back, leaning against a tree as she ate. It'd been a long day, and she had a slight headache from maintaining her pace all that way. Polishing off the last of her small meal, she looked over at her brownish-red letter bag she'd been carrying, and sighed again, thinking about the number of letters she had to deliver. She was on her way to the hot-spring town of Bubbly, and most of the letters were to the town's elderly residents from children and grandchildren. Then glancing at her tall black boots placed next to the bag, she groaned inwardly at the thought of getting up and continuing her day's travel.

'It'll be worth it when I get to Bubbly.' She thought, trying to motivate herself. 'I'll deliver my mail, and have enough money left over to spend a few relaxing days in the springs.' She sighed happily and flopped onto the grass, her body relaxing as she thought of the deliciously hot water and good food that was sure to come. Hibari's thoughts were fixed on hot baths as her eyes slowly closed and she slipped into sleep.

* * *

"Here she is!"

"How do you know, dummy?"

"She's got a long black ponytail, see? I told you I'd seen it when she went by."

"Fine, but keep it down already. She's obviously asleep."

"…."

"I don't see a horse anywhere. Do you think it could've run off while she was asleep?"

"Don't know. If that's the case, we should wake her up and tell her."

"I'll do it, and I think we should help her look. Nana and I could easily spot anything if it didn't get too far."

The first thing Hibari saw as she drifted slowly back to consciousness was a kid's face just inches in front of her own, blinking in surprise and saying, "Oh, she woke up."

Next thing Cooro knew, he was flat on his back, the woman pinning him to the ground and snarling, "Who are you!"

"Cooro!" two voices shouted, and suddenly Hibari found herself face to face with a formidable-looking bear claw. Backing off quickly, she looked up, and was startled for a split second to see that the claw was attached to a young man who looked about her age.

"Another Kim-un-Kur, huh? And a Bear +Anima to boot. Sorry about that. Purely instinct. I'm not used to having company, and usually anyone who shows up in my camp is dangerous."

"It's alright, Senri." The kid she'd pinned said, walking up to his friend. "I'm fine, see?" The Bear +Anima, apparently Senri, looked over at his friend, nodded, and reverted his arm to normal. The other two, who Hibari had barely registered, walked over from where they'd been standing while the other boy turned to her. "Sorry about sneaking up on you like that. My fault entirely. I'm Cooro, by the way, and this is Senri," he said, gesturing to the Kim-un-Kur, who had silvery gray hair and eyes, though one was covered by a black eye-patch, and appeared to be wearing clothing made of some sort of pelt like hers, "Husky," pointing to a boy around his age with blue-aqua eyes and hair with black pants, shirt, and shoes and a light blue cloak, "and Nana." To the only girl in the group, with dirty-blond hair reaching halfway down her shoulders, brown eyes, and wearing a loose dress of a leafy green color. Cooro himself had hair so dark brown it looked black, and his eyes were also an amber-brown color.

Hibari studied them for a minute, deciding whether to be open or closed off with them. They were all just kids, except for the one around her age, and honestly, some short-term companions would be nice. "I'm Hibari." she said, deciding to be at least somewhat open with them. "Uh, nice to meet you." She finished, slightly awkward.

She had to say, they were an odd bunch to be traveling together, just based on their reactions: Nana looked thoughtful about something, Husky seemed interminably annoyed, Senri looked like his face was stuck on 'None' in expression, and Cooro seemed kinda dense, plowing unabashedly into conversation about his likes and dislikes about random stuff. They all appeared harmless enough, though, so she invited them to sit down while she rebuilt her fire with branches she'd collected and snapped earlier. Night was already setting in, so it would be pointless for her to travel any more that day. She decided to pull her boots back on anyway, just in case.

"Ah! I just remembered! Don't you have a horse, Ms. Hibari? We need to find it!" Nana said suddenly.

"A horse? How do you figure that?" Hibari asked.

"You left hoof prints on the road when you passed us earlier."

"Oh, that. No need to worry, I don't have a horse. I'm strictly on my own when I travel. Much less to worry about."

"Then where'd the hoof prints come from?" Husky asked. Hibari hesitated. She never told anyone anything about herself truthfully. The less people knew about her, the safer she was.

"It's ok, Hibari. I already know." Cooro said suddenly, startling her. Had he seen her? Instantly on her a guard, she asked carefully,

"How do you know anything about me?"

"I can see whether a person is or not. I don't know what it is, but to me it looks like they glow. Like I said, it's fine. We're all +Anima, too."

"Cooro!" Husky and Nana cried, before Nana went, "Wait, too? Are you a +Anima, Hibari?"

Hibari sighed. 'So that's it. I've heard of some individuals who can see the residual power that comes from being a +Anima. Alright then, might as well tell them. Or better yet, I think I'll show them, see what kind of reactions I can get.' She grinned mischievously, and stood up. Concentrating, she felt the familiar tingling spreading from her mark, and down her legs.

"Woah!" the 14-year-olds cried. Senri said nothing, but his eyes widened as Hibari' lower body became that of a horse's entire body, giving her the appearance of a Centaur. The horse portion of her extended from beneath the hem of her deerskin dress, the hair taking on the same color as the pelt. Like her boots, the horse-hair darkened from the light tan yellow to black, right down to the hooves. Also, in a reminiscence of her ponytail, there was a strip of black trailing down the center of her spine down to her tail. If she'd been a full-fledged horse, she would've been a Buckskin.

"Ooh." Cooro said, and Hibari had to stifle a laugh. This kid was so innocent.

"Well, here's mine, but you guys can just tell me yours if you want."

"I'll show you! My +Anima's great!" Cooro said, jumping up. In just a few seconds, he had a wingspan of at least six feet, and his arms had also grown feathers, all of which were jet-black.

"A Crow +Anima, huh? Not bad, and I have to say, I admire the fact that you're so proud of your abilities." Hibari commented. Nana stood up, and Hibari noticed that she looked a little uncomfortable. "You don't have to show me, you know." She said gently.

"I'm fine. I'm trying to be stronger about things about me that I can't change." Nana replied as she extended her own wings, these being of a bat, and her ears grew significantly larger. Wordlessly, Senri reactivated his bear-arm, though Hibari had a feeling he always just did whatever the rest of the group was doing. Husky didn't bother getting up or anything.

"I'll just tell you. I'm a Fish +Anima, so I need water to transform. My form is similar to yours, involving most of my body, so I already know how tiring it is to maintain that shape."

"You're right about that." Hibari replied as the three of them reverted. "That's really the main reason I fell asleep. I'm guessing you're also like me where you'd rather not have your abilities, but have accepted them and decided to put them to use?"

Wordlessly he nodded, and Hibari started unpacking food for a small dinner for all of them. "Judging from the fact that none of you guys has any sort of bag, I'm guessing you eat as you go?" looking at them, she couldn't help chuckling. Husky and Senri didn't seem to care what they were eating, but Cooro was devouring an apple like the world was going to end, and Nana looked like she might cry when she was handed some bread. "How about this: We're coming up on the town of Bubbly, and should get their by late afternoon tomorrow. We're going the same way, so I'll travel with you till we get there."


	2. Chapter 2

Yay! Chapter 2 is up! Sorry for the wait, but this is my last week of school, and I'm on a roll today, so I promise I'll upload quicker. Oh, and for those of you who've alerted this story, sorry if it comes up twice. I forgot to edit it before I posted it, so I had to do it again.

To RozeAkasuki: Thanks for your support, and I love your profile pic. Kid rules!

**Nana: **It's a shame, but Akari-san does not own +Anima. Nor did she take anyone else's ideas.

* * *

Hibari smirked to herself as she pulled her boots on that morning, thinking of how deeply these guys could sleep. The woods they were camped next to were full of squawking, screeching birds. Getting up and walking over to a miniscule stream nearby, she filled her spare canteens, which were usually left empty, but she would need with the company. As she poured one container on the remains of their fire, she called over the hissing steam, "Up and at 'em, everybody! Time to go."

Senri sat up instantly, but still wordlessly. 'Seriously, does he even know how to talk!' Hibari thought to herself, and Husky and Nana didn't need much prompting to wake up. Cooro, however, continued to sleep like a rock. Hibari sighed, wordlessly walked over to where Cooro was sprawled on the ground, and dumped the remaining contents of the one canteen on his head.

"WAAH!" Cooro shouted and, not only jumped up, instinctively unfurled his wings and flapped straight up.

"Oh, no you don't." Hibari said, grabbing hold of his ankle, then cried out in surprise when she found herself lifted at least 30 feet in the air. Apparently Cooro's wings were stronger then they looked. "Cooro! It's just me! Wake up already!"

"Aah! What!" he cried, looking around frantically. "Oh, good morning, Hibari."

Hibari forced a smile. "Good morning, Cooro. Can we go back to the ground now? I've just discovered that I don't like heights." Feeling better after gently being placed on solid ground, she said, "You're wings are much stronger that they look, Cooro."

"A little. You're also pretty light, you know."

"Well anyway, you sleep like a freakin' rock, Cooro. You guys wait here while I refill this." Hibari said, lifting the now empty canteen that she'd _somehow_ held onto during her little flying lesson. "Alright." She said, shouldering her mail-bag. "Let's go." As they set off down the road, talk turned to their destination.

"Bubbly, huh? It's been a while since we've visited the place." Husky remarked.

"Yeah." Cooro replied. "I wonder how Mr. Bison is doing."

"Mr. Bison?" Hibari asked, confused.

"He's a Bison +Anima we met at a hot spring the first time we went to Bubbly." Nana answered. "We've been back a couple of times, and we always visit and see how he's doing. He never gave us his actual name, and he doesn't seem to mind us calling him that, so to us he's Mr. Bison."

"Ah."

"Speaking of names," Cooro interjected. "when you told us you're name was Hibari, I thought you might be another bird-type +Anima, but you're a horse. How'd you get the name Hibari?"

"Firstly, Cooro, not everyone had a name relating to what they are. The name 'Nana' for example, has nothing to do with bats. I became a +Anima when I was 14, and I changed my name to Hibari afterward, but I'll tell you that story later. I picked the name because of this."

"Kami-sama iru nara ki ite yo

itsu itsu mademo kono shunkan

Repeat dekinai mainichi wo miokura nakucha

Dakara ato mou sukoshi dakette

kodomo de itai boys & girls ga nannin mo

Kono you ni kakure hison dewa yume wo mite iru te-iu story"

"Wow, Hibari! That was great! Could you sing the whole thing? Please?" Nana said excitedly. Cooro looked just as thrilled, Senri nodded fervently, and even Husky looked impressed. Hibari smiled. She loved singing, and it was great to have an audience for a change.

"Alright."

They spent the rest of the journey like that. The other two kept making requests for songs, and when they ran out, Hibari sung a few of her favorites. Husky probably would have wanted to ask her to sing something, if he ever actually listened to music.

"We're here." Hibari said later that day. "We're ahead of schedule too. Looks like I have more time to deliver letters today. Alright you guys, since you helped quicken the pace, I'll cover your food and room expenses for tonight, since I'll make a little more today. But if you're planning on staying for any amount of time, you use the rest of the daylight to find jobs. The place I have in mind is cheap enough for travelers to stay, and they have a few special surprises for us. Well, for you, I'm used to it. Meet me back here when the sun touches that rock." She said, pointing to a pile of boulders making a small mountain some distance out of town.

Not bothering to wait for a reply, she set off down one of the streets, delivering letters and small packages as she went. At the end of the day, she was pretty pleased with herself. She'd managed to deliver all her mail for this town, and had made quite a sum. More than enough to stay for a couple of days, then buy supplies for the next leg of her trip. Shouldering her bag for the last time that day, she checked the sun, then went to the designated meeting place.

"Come on, Senri. We're going to eat after we meet up with the others." Nana said, pulling the young man away from another food vendor that had called out to him. She was glad she'd volunteered to watch him, the boys would've surely gotten impatient much sooner, or at least Husky would. Cooro would only make the problem worse. Finally sitting down on the fountain bench they'd decided to meet at, she thought again about the jobs she'd gotten for them.

Nana had to admit that it was a good thing there were so many elderly people living here. Many of them had jobs that needed doing, but they couldn't do themselves. She'd gotten a job helping an old seamstress mend clothes, and at the speed she worked, she was bound to make quite a bit of money. The woman was very kind, and said that Senri could do things like split wood and carry supplies for her husband, and had even promised to provide them with lunch as long as they worked hard.

"Ah. There she is, Senri. Hey, Hibari!" Nana called, standing up. Senri glanced up, then went back to flipping through the pages in his book.

"Hey, you two." Hibari said, walking up to them. "Husky and Cooro not back yet?"

"No, but that might be because Cooro's getting distracted by all the food vendors around here. Even Senri got sidetracked a few times."

"I see what you mean. Seems like there's something going on, with all the different stands. Oh well, we'll find out when we get to the hot spring."

"Ooh, a hot spring." Nana said, sighing happily. "It's been forever since I've had a hot bath."

"Well, you'll love this place." Hibari said, smiling. "Not only is it a lot cheaper here, but this place has a special feature I think you'll like."

Just then, Cooro and Husky walked up, and it looked like Cooro had a couple lumps on his head. Hibari led them down a small road that lead to an outer part of town, and by the time the sun started to get really low, they'd reached a smaller, more secluded inn built up against a tall rock formation. As they approached the entrance, they were hailed by a scrawny teen standing by the door.

"Welcome, travelers! Oh, Miss Hibari! Welcome!" the boy said, recognizing the regular visitor. "The usual single room and bath, Miss?"

"Not this time, Tano." Hibari replied. "A longer stay and a bigger room, I've got guests this time."

"I see." The boy said, noticing the group behind her. Then, "Waah! It's you guys!"

"Oh look, it's the boy from the first time we came here." Nana remarked.

"It's good to see you guys again. Thanks to you, not only did business recover, but it got even better!" The kid said, grinning.

"How's that?" Cooro asked.

"You'll see, Cooro. Let's get situated first." Hibari cut off. Turning to the boy, she continued, "I need to see your grandfather, Tano. I need to tell him about our living arrangements."

Walking inside, Hibari went to the front counter to talk with the old man, the others sat down on a bench.

"What do you think is so special about this spring?" Nana asked.

"Dunno, but I'll tell you one thing." Cooro replied, looking around. "There are quite a few +Anima walking around here."

"Really?" Husky started, looking at the other boy incredulously.

"Alright, guys, ready for a bath?" Hibari asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes!" Nana said excitedly. Hibari chuckled.

"Alright, then follow me. We're going to a special hot spring." She said, leading them down a hall to the back. As they passed into a second bathing area, they, except Hibari, noticed a sign hanging in the doorway that had a "+" on it.

"Oh, I get it, Hibari." Cooro said suddenly. "This is…."

"Hold on, Cooro. Let the others figure it out." She said quickly. As they each went into their respective changing areas, Nana finally figured out why this bath house was so special. It had a separate bathing area for +Anima. She could see marks on quite a few of the other girls in the changing room. As they entered the hot spring, Hibari called out, "You figure it out yet, Husky? Senri?"

"Got it." Husky's voice replied over the rock barrier. "It's a bathing area for +Anima right?"

"Yep. Gramps told me that he decided to make this investment after he had some travelers help him out with a problem. I'm guessing that was probably you guys. Especially after you told me about your meeting with the Bison +Anima." Hibari explained.

"I guess that's what that kid meant when he said business had gotten better because of us."

"Right again, Cooro. It turns out there are quite a few +Anima that would pay good money to be able to bath in peace and not have to worry about someone seeing their mark."

The group spent some time relaxing in the bath, before the grumbling of their stomachs drove them to seek out their room and have some dinner brought in. As they ate, talk turned to how people became +Anima in the first place.

"That reminds me, I wanted to tell you how I got my wings, Hibari." Cooro said suddenly, grinning. Hibari looked around, and noticed that the others didn't seem to mind telling their stories. Cooro started, telling her how he'd been 'born' with his wings, as well as their run-in with Fly a few years previously.

"Jeez, Cooro. It sounds like having your wings taken away was more threatening than gaining them." Hibari remarked. Nana went next, explaining the incident with her father in a subdued voice, and Hibari saw fit to give her a squeeze around the shoulders. Then it was Husky's turn, explaining that he'd been a Sailand prince until a jealous half-mother had attempted to get rid of him by pushing him into the pond. Hibari was horrified and felt sorry for him, until her explained that he had no regrets because he'd gone back, along with the other three, and shown his mother and father (sort of) that he'd survived.

"What about you, Senri?" Hibari asked, when he'd said nothing so far. He looked up, a questioning look on his face. The other three jumped in quickly, telling her what'd happened to him, and explaining his memory problems as a result of it.

"I see." Hibari said, thinking for a minute. 'So prejudice isn't the only cause of the Kim-Un-Kur's general tragedy.'

"What about you, Hibari?" Cooro asked innocently, startling her.

"Oh! Uh, well, it's pretty late now. How about I tell you guys another time?" she said quickly, getting up from where she'd been sitting on the floor. As the others followed suit, Nana asked, "Since there's no time for you to tell us your story, could you show the boys your mark? I already saw it in the bath, and you've seen all of ours.

"Oh alright." Hibari sighed, then lifted the hem of the loose shirt that she had, along with a pair of loose Capri-pants, changed into after her bath, revealing the circular, hoof-shaped mark on the small of her back, but also accidentally showing a scar that it partially covered. Dropping her shirt again after a few seconds, she flopped onto one of the large beds in the room, having to share with Nana. Husky and Cooro lay down (or rather, Husky lay down while Cooro flung himself) onto the other bed. Just as Hibari wondered where Senri would sleep, he sat down at the foot of the boy's bed, leaning up against it.

"Not happening, Senri. You shouldn't have to sleep on the floor." She said, getting up again. Going out into the hallway, she asked for a spare cot, pillow, and blanket to be brought on. After setting that up, she shut off the oil lamp on the table and climbed back into bed.

It wasn't long before the others fell asleep, but Hibari lay awake, worry chewing at her mind. 'Now what? Should I tell them what happened or not?'

'You'd better not.' A voice in her head said, probably her suspicious nature talking. 'You've been on your own all this time, never having to rely on anybody. It's better to stay that way.'

'But I can't live that way forever,' she argued with herself. 'It does get lonely sometimes, you know.' She lay there a little longer, arguing with her stubborn, suspicious nature, before consoling herself that, unless the subject came up again, she wouldn't mention it. For now she was content to enjoy the company and see if she could trust these four. With that thought, she rolled over and finally fell asleep.

* * *

I forgot to add this to the last one, but review please! I love reviews, good or bad. Input is appreciated.

Also, you wouldn't believe how long I went through my Japanese-English dictionary looking for a good name for my character. their were quite a few candidates, and I was able to narrow it down to 2 names, so I decided that she changed her name at some point in her life. BTW, 'Hibari' means 'lark'.

I'm also working on some drawings of Hibari, so when I get a good one done, I'll scan it and make it my profile pic so you guys can see it.


	3. Chapter 3

Yay! I finally have chapter 3 up! Sorry it took me so long to upload guys, please don't kill me. In this chapter, the things in parentheses are what was going through my when I wrote those parts. On to the reading! If you would, please, Husky.

**Husky:** If Akari owned +Anima, she wouldn't be writing this; she'd be putting this plot in the manga instead. Hibari is hers though.

* * *

"Come on, you guys! Wake up! You don't want to be late for your first jobs here!" Hibari called bright and early the next morning. This time, not only Cooro, but also Husky and Nana merely grumbled and turned over. Hibari had to guess that it was the fault of cushy, comfortable beds. Motioning for Senri to be quiet (why?), she grabbed the blankets of both beds and yanked them off of the teens, nearly pulling Cooro off his bed. With the source of heat gone, they found getting up easier this time, and began gathering their clothes as Nana and Hibari went into the adjacent bathroom to change.

"Glad to see everyone's up." Hibari said as she walked back in as Senri started pulling his shirt on, revealing the scar he'd gotten from that crazy bear years before. "It turns out there's going to be a festival celebrating the birthday of the town. That's what up with all the vendors around here. Also, the main event is a big town-wide dance that's going to be held in three days, so if you guys want to take part in the festivities, you'd better start saving up."

"Ooh, a dance!" Nana exclaimed. "I've got to get my hands on some fabric for a dress! But what color should I pick…?" she trailed off.

"Well, blue is off-limits, 'cause that's what I'm using." Hibari said. "But if I were you, I'd go with a dark green. It'd go with your eyes and hair, and the dark fabric would set off your pale-as-heck complexion nicely."

"You're gonna stick around for the festival too, Hibari?" Cooro asked.

"Absolutely! I never miss a chance to celebrate stuff! I love special occasions." Pulling a small pouch out of her bag, Hibari called over her shoulder as she went out the door, "I'm heading out. If you guys need me, just look for the post office. They always need help sorting stuff." After she'd left, the other four had a small breakfast before they too went off to their jobs, Cooro and Husky having offered help to a group of fishing boats on the river.

Hibari hummed to herself all that morning as she worked. She'd been right; having a couple of companions for a change was proving a big booster on her mood. Cooro and Husky were just a bundle of laughs, Nana made for nice conversation (it wasn't often she got to talk to girls during her travels), and Senri….

Well, there was just no figuring him out, though Hibari thought that might've been because he couldn't even figure himself out. Thinking about his situation, she couldn't help but feel bad for him. He'd lost someone important, and he didn't even remember! The other three had said that whenever something jogged his memory, he'd gone berserk. Then she remembered that they'd trusted her enough to tell her all of this, and she didn't return the favor. Then she felt really bad.

'No, no!' she thought, shaking her head. 'It doesn't help anyone to sulk. Besides, I have very good reasons for not trusting people, so I'm just going to wait and see what I make of them.' With that thought in mind, she set herself back to work. This festival had made for some extra expenses, and she had to work hard to make up the difference.

Nana sighed as she put the newly-mended blouse down, resting her fingers for a moment. She'd worked nonstop for a few hours, and there was quite a stack of mended and folded clothing by her, waiting to be returned to their owners. Just then, the elderly woman walked in with some tea and offered her some, which she accepted gratefully.

"My my, you've certainly been working hard, young lady." The woman commented, noticing the stack of laundry.

"Yes, ma'am. I just found out today that there's going to be a festival in town, and I'll need a few supplies to be ready in time."

"Oh, the festival huh? Yes, I remember it well. It was on the night of the dance that my husband proposed to me, nearly forty years ago." The old woman trailed off, and both girls sighed. "Are you going with anyone?" she asked Nana suddenly.

"Yes, I'm going with a few friends of mine." She teenager answered.

"Not quite what I meant, dear. I meant someone very special to you."

"Oh! Well, no. my friends and I travel a lot, and I don't really have anyone like that."

"I'm surprised none of your friends have taken a liking to you, if I'm correct in assuming that some of them are boys."

"Yeah three of them, but one is so much older than me, another is totally clueless about everything, and the last one really dislikes girls for a few good reasons."

"Well, that's too bad, dear, but I'll give you some advice. When you make your outfit for the dance, cut it a little more form-fitting. I just know that, with your looks and the right dress, you're bound to have a few heads turn that night." The old woman finished and left, taking the tea tray with her. Nana turned back to her work, all the while thinking about ideas for her outfit, and she believed she just might follow the woman's advice.

"What's up, Husky? You're really out of it today." Cooro remarked as they sat eating lunch. The two had gotten the task of scaring good-sized fish into the waiting nets of the fishermen, and they were getting paid quite well for their work, seeing as food vendors were paying top dollar for fresh merchandise. "You worried about something?"

"Not quite worried." Husky replied, taking another bite of food. "I just feel weird about this festival. I feel like something different is going to happen, but I don't know if that's a bad thing or not."

"Well, if it's just something different, then it's probably going to be a good thing."

"How do you figure that?"

"Because usually when something happens when we're in a crowd, it's something bad. If it's something different from that, it's probably good!" Cooro finished with his trademark grin. Husky smirked to himself and stood up. Who knows, maybe Cooro's crazy way of thinking had hit the mark.

For the next three days, the little group worked hard at their jobs for various reasons, the girls were determined to have enough to have the perfect outfits for the dance, Husky was making sure that they would have enough money even after party spending, and Cooro and Senri, well, they just always worked hard.

As they wrapped up their day of work the night of the dance, the girls rushed about getting their things ready for the event, while the boys just took baths, ate an early dinner and, at the assurance of the girls that they'd be along, left to do a bit of sight-seeing around town.

"About time they left." Nana said exasperatedly.

"Now, now; don't squash what little gentlemanliness they have." Hibari said, laughing as she pulled the shimmery blue fabric out of its box. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Replied the younger girl, putting the finishing touches on the dress that, in her opinion, was her best workmanship yet. "I wonder if the boys will say anything about our outfits."

"We already know Senri won't really say anything. Cooro thinks everything's wonderful, and Husky might say something out of courtesy. Even if they don't, we're bound to turn a few heads of some promising young men." Hibari said, pulling a strand of hair through a couple of beads.

"What're those for, Hibari?" Nana inquired after the beads, pulling the upper layers of her hair into an up-do, leaving the rest to cover the part of her mark that the dress couldn't cover.

"Tell ya later, kiddo." The young woman said dismissively. "Ready to go?"

"Yep."

"We didn't take that long. Where'd they get off to?" Hibari exclaimed after looking around from the entrance to the square.

"They probably headed straight for the food, since Cooro's always hungry, and someone has to watch him and Senri all the time." Nana said.

"Well, in that case, let's just leave them to their own devices and have us some girl time!" Hibari exclaimed, leading Nana through the maze of stands that held everything from food to fabric, weapons to jewelry. Grabbing snacks along the way, they girls fawned over sparkling jewels, awed at the strange weapons and armor, and Hibari chuckled to herself while Nana grew starry-eyed, imagining all the outfits she could make with such exotic cloth as she saw.

It wasn't until the girls were preparing to end their browsing and head to the bonfire that Hibari's eye was caught by something sitting on a table. Upon closer inspection, she found that the vendor held accessories for fashioning one's own jewelry. What she'd noticed were feathers made from various metals. Hammered flat and intricately carved, they looked like real feathers, though on a much smaller scale, ranging from bronze to gold. After much thought, she finally decided on two each of copper and silver, and one more that, from the deep color black it was, guessed it was a very pure iron.

After paying for her purchase, Hibari placed the package into the small pouch dangling from her shoulder, where it was later joined by a new carving knife she'd taken a liking to. Shouldering her bag again, she quickly sought to catch up with Nana, before the tow headed off to the main square together.

"Ah! There they are you guys! Hibari, Nana, over here!"Cooro called from a low wall the boys were seated on by the pile of wood that was soon to be a bonfire.

"About time they got here." Husky huffed, crossing his arms. Senri said nothing, turning to look over to where Cooro had been pointing. He almost didn't see the girls; they looked so different tonight.

Nana had opted to pull some of her hair up, and leave it uncovered, revealing the dirty-blond it had become under years of sun. she was wearing a very dark green dress, which had been cut to hug her form more closely, showing that she'd done some growing over the years. She'd chosen a simple wooden bracelet to accompany the ever present necklace she wore, along with some simple brown sandals.

Hibari looked completely different as well, leaving her hair unbound, and it fell down her back and to her calves in an ebony curtain, but for one small strand that was holding two beads: one white and one black. Her dress was of a dark blue and also fitted her body closely, the hem cut at a diagonal so that against one leg it barely reached halfway down her thigh, while on the other it extended just past her knee. To top it all off, she'd donned a pair of black platform heels that added a couple of inches to her already tall frame.

"Wow, you guys! You look awesome! Where did you get your new clothes and stuff?" Cooro said excitedly, bouncing around them and looking at their various accessories.

"Okay, okay, calm down Cooro!" Hibari laughed raising her hands in mock defense. "Let us sit down first; we've been walking around all the shops up till now."

"Hibari bought her dress and both of our shoes at a shop yesterday. I made my dress, of course, and we figured, since my hair's always down and hers is always up, we'd switch it around a little."

"Well anyway, it looks great!" the hyped up bird-boy said again. "Right guys?" he added suddenly, turning towards the other two. Husky looked up suddenly, having only glanced the girls over, he hadn't really bothered analyzing what he saw. Now, though, he was expected to comment on their outfits!

'Damn.' He thought to himself, before turning to the girls, practiced complement at the ready, but Nana's appearance caught him off guard. He'd never noticed or paid attention to how much they'd all grown. Now he noticed, and for some reason, it made his breath catch. Stumbling a little, he finally muttered, "It… looks nice."

Hibari smiled, while Nana instead said, "Really? Well, thank you."

"Y-Yeah…."

"…Pretty…." Senri said, looking at Hibari's hair. He'd never seen hair that long before. Crystala's had been the longest he'd seen, Nana's after that. Other girls he'd met kept their hair short for practical reasons, like Rose. He then noticed the tiny beads strung in her hair. "…Beads…?"

"What, these?" Hibari said, fingering the black one absentmindedly. "Yeah, normally they're on that string I use to tie up my hair, but it's been so long since they've actually been in my hair, I figured I could use them this time."

"But where'd you get them?" Cooro asked, and the others nodded expectantly. Hibari sighed.

"Alright, you guys, but what I'm gonna say will surprise you, so you have to do your best not to shout." After they'd nodded in agreement, she started, "You know that Senri has beads in his hair because it's Kim-Un-Kur culture, right? The color differs based on what tribe they're born into?"

"U-huh."

"Well, I'm half Kim-Un-Kur, on my father's side."

"WAAAH!" the younger three exclaimed, thankfully keeping themselves from getting too loud, and Senri's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, and a little "Ah!" escaped from his woefully underused vocal chords. Hibari almost laughed at their reaction, though she'd been expecting it.

"Yeah, my father's tribe wore white beads, and my mother had chosen to live amongst them when she married my father. I take after my mother in appearance. The only way someone could see Kim-Un-Kur blood in me is through my eyes, which are silvery-blue, just like my father's."

"Then what's the black bead for?" Nana asked.

"This is not the time, now the place, for that story, Nana. Another time."

Just then, they were interrupted by the bonfire roaring to life and the villagers cheering and beginning their dances. Apparently they'd missed the mayor's speech about the town, like that was any real loss. After sitting nearby and talking for a short time, Nana was asked to join the circle of dancers by a shy-looking boy of about sixteen. She happily accepted, glancing back to catch Hibari's 'Didn't I tell you?' wink. Looking over at the boys, she laughed to herself when she saw Husky's frustrated scowl. She could almost see the confused 'Why am I so mad?' written all over the boy's face as he stared in Nana's direction.

"Alright, you guys." She said, standing up. "I'm gonna get in on this dancing. Who's coming with?"

"I'll go!"Cooro said, jumping up (of course). "I don't know how, though."

"That's alright! Just walked up to the back row of dancers, and ask one if they can show you how." Looking over, Hibari could see a stubborn 'No' in the very way Husky was sitting, so she glanced over at Senri, and saw that her looked apprehensive, like he wanted to join, but couldn't. "Come on, Senri." Hibari said, pulling the young man from his seat. "I'll show you how it's done!"

For the rest of the night, the group danced (not Husky), ate, or just hung out talking, before finally heading back to the inn. Gently placing the now clean dress back in its box, she put the shoes next to the door, determining to return them the next day, and use that money to get the last of the supplies she needed.

'And after that,' she thought as she pulled on her night clothes. 'I head out the day after.'

'It's not a question of if and when you go.' A voice in her head reminded her. 'It's whether or not you decide to let those four go with you.'

'I know that!' she argued back, slumping into bed. 'I know, and I'll decide tomorrow.' She finished as she pulled the blanket over herself and giving in to sleep.

* * *

Alright, now to get started on chapter 4! I promise I will work more diligently, so reviews are like candy, and flames are hot tamales, so write what you will! Much thanks to those of you who've reviewed and alerted already.


	4. Chapter 4

Oh Mah Gawd, Ah'm ALIVE! *Looks nervously at angry readers* Umm, but maybe not for long... Except if you guys kill me, I will no longer be able to update! So instead, why don't you guys read this chapter while I work on the next one, 'kay? Besides, as other adults of this site will understand, it's hard to work on stories when you move out and have a job and stuff, so don't hate me too much, right? Believe me, if I could, I'd definitely not work for ten hours a day and instead write.

On a side note, you guys should be thankful to my recent acquisition, Rune Factory Frontier. The bathhouse in that game made me want to first take my own spa-style bath, then write about a character who has been in such one. Yay, inspiration!**  
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**Disclaimer:** **Are you guys paying for this site? No? Then am i making money from this franchise? No? Then I'm pretty sure I don't own any of it. *Looks offstage* Do I really have to do this every time?**

* * *

"Jeez, how you guys have managed to hold jobs before now is beyond me." Hibari said with a sigh, walking around the room with two blankets slung over her shoulder, as she'd had to remove them from the three younger kids again this morning. They sat in their beds still, rubbing sleep out of their eyes while Senri was helping Hibari fold the blankets, both already dressed and ready for the day. "Does someone always have to wake you guys up?"

"Well, we were up rather late, weren't we?" Husky said, sounding a little indignant.

"I guess you're right." The dark-haired girl replied, chuckling as she tied her hair up. "Well then, I'm off. See you guys this afternoon." She called, walking out the door with the outfits she and Nana had worn the night before. After selling the clothes and shoes, she headed again for the post office.

"Mornin' Hibari! Sorting again today?" the clerk hailed her from behind the desk.

"Yep! And I'll be grabbing one of the delivery bags on my way out. So make sure you save one for me, 'kay?" she replied, heading into the back room, where she worked happily until early afternoon. As she was leaving, Hibari grabbed a letter bag that was bound for a little town to the west. 'I think I'll treat myself to one last bath while I'm here.' The girl thought to herself, dropping the mail on her bed before grabbing a towel and heading for the back.

She'd been enjoying a hot-spring soak for nearly an hour when Hibari heard a slight commotion from over the rocky barrier on the boy's side. As the splashes subsided next door, the voices grew clear enough for her to recognize with a start. "Cooro? Husky, what're you guys doing here?"

"Ah! Hibari!" Cooro's voice answered in surprise from over the wall. "It's horrible, the fishermen we were helping let us go 'cause all the food vendors left and they didn't need so many people! We didn't even get to have any fish before we had to leave!"

"Honestly, is food _all_ you ever think about?" came Husky's voice, dripping with defeated exasperation. "You're not _at all_ worried about the fact that we basically survive from job to job?"

"Oh! Well, that's bad too." Cooro said blankly. Hibari heard a 'smack', and swore it was Husky's palm meeting his face. She laughed, standing up to get out of the water. "Oh, Hibari, we were gonna go look around town for a while until Nana and Senri get back. You wanna come?"

"No thanks, Cooro. I got some stuff I gotta take care of, but I'll see you all later." The girl replied, standing and heading for their room. Once there, she quickly gathered her things, left a note on the girl's bed, and went to the front desk to pay for the group's stay. Then, resolute with the plan she'd made, Hibari shouldered her bag and headed for the west exit of town.

* * *

"It's a good thing the boys let us know that they were done working there, or we wouldn't have known to tell that couple that we'd also be leaving." Nana said more to herself than to her companion, considering he wouldn't reply anyway, as they walked into the Inn and headed for their room. It was pretty fair to say they were shocked when they entered the room to find a franticly pacing Cooro and sullen Husky looking over a scrap of paper. "You guys, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Nana! Senri!" Cooro started, heading over to them. "It's awful! Hibari without telling us!" he practically cried. "All she left was a note!"

"What?" Nana exclaimed, rushing over to Husky to see the paper, Senri right on her heels.

_Everyone,_

_ First, I want to thank you all for your company. Spending time with you was the most fun I've had in a while, but it's time I headed out to the next town. Nana, the money from your dress and shoes is on your pillow, and I've arranged for the room to be yours for tonight if you want. I would've like to travel with you guys for a while longer, but I know that's not my decision to make. So if you decide you want to come with me, I'll be waiting on the west road outside town 'till morning. If not, that's alright too. I'm sure we'll see each other again._

_Sincerely,_

_Hibari_

"Well?" Husky started after the silence of their reading. "You saw yourself, the choice is ours. What do you think?"

"I absolutely vote yes!" Cooro said right away. "Hibari's nice, and fun, and smart, and I want to know more about her!" Much to the others surprise, Senri nodded quickly in agreement with the dark-haired boy.

"I'd also like to learn more about her, and it's so nice to talk to another girl. Oh!" Nana suddenly remembered, making everyone pause. "What do you think, Husky?" the girl asked rather cautiously.

"Well, I suppose if we had to have another girl in the group, it wouldn't be terrible if it was her." Husky said after a moment's thought. "After all, you, Rose, and Hibari are the only girls I know who don't drive me completely crazy all the time." He finished, making the others smile despite his stubborn look.

"Yeah!" Nana added. "And besides, she's a few months older than Senri, so she's not so much a girl as she is a woman. So it's decided then?" The others nodded. "Okay then, let's go!"

"Well, there's no rush, right?" Husky asked. "You too should get another bath before we head out."

* * *

Hibari sighed as she sat back, relaxing against a boulder by the side of the road with her new feather-charm necklace around her throat, as she waited for her fire to build up. It'd been hard to leave without saying goodbye, if they decided not to come with her, but she was content with her decision nonetheless. And like she'd said in the note, they were sure to run into each other again. "Let's see, where should I head to after the capital? North to the mountains, or south to the sea…?"

After a while, a scuffling from above and behind brought the girl sharply out of her thoughts, and she cursed her own inattentiveness as she jumped away from the boulder, grabbing her carving knife from her bag.

"Well well, the girl thinks she can fight, huh?" a voice spoke sneeringly from the darkness before several figures, at least four, surrounded the girl, all brandishing a blade of sort. Hibari growled under her breath.

'Bandits? No, if they were just thieves, they would've grabbed the bag and run already.' Hibari thought as she looked each of the men over, sparing a glance at the abandoned bag where she'd been sitting. The voice chuckled, surprising the girl into noticing the barely-visible shadow standing on the boulder she'd been sitting against. The nearly-full moon had yet to rise enough to where she could see them. "You insult me, girl, to think we are nothing more than common thieves. We are traders." the figure leapt down, revealing himself to be a slightly stocky, middle-aged man, holding a rope? "And we deal in very particular merchandise."

"Slave-traders." Hibari snarled, causing those around her to smirk or laugh. "Let me guess, you're here to collect for buyers in Sailand? I've dealt with your type before." She finished coldly.

"Maybe you have, my dear." the leader replied, the way he said 'my dear' making the girl's skin crawl. "But unlikely so outnumbered." Hibari smirked.

"We'll see." She said before lunging, aiming her foot at the leader's smug face, but not before the other four closed in on the girl. She swung her knife in a wide circle, making them back off for a split second, but that was all she needed.

"She's a +Anima!" one of the men yelled as she reared back, newly-hooved forelegs pawing for the nearest guy's head, and feeling satisfied by seeing one of her hooves knocking into its target before he hit the ground, out cold. Hibari aimed a few kicks behind her, sending the other three farther away, before turning to the leader, whom she now looked down to, staring him down challengingly. It infuriated her that even now, he looked even smugger.

"Your value just went up, girl."

Suddenly, pain raced from her right flank up her spine, making Hibari yell out as the hurt leg reflexively kicked the offender in the gut, knocking him back several feet. But the damage was done, blood flowed freely from the sword-slash down her leg, and she could barely put weight on it. 'Darn it.' She thought, eyes darting in between the rest of them. 'Well, that's two down. If I can just hold this form a little longer, I still might be able to beat them.' With that, Hibari quickly spun around, lunging for the other two grunts, only to be brought up short.

While her back had been turned, the leader of the group had gotten a noose in his rope around her bad leg, pulling it back and almost costing the young woman her footing. Thinking they'd won, the other two quickly rushed her, only to be knocked back by a fist and one hoof. Hibari then tried to turn to face the last, and leader of her would-be captors, but found that she couldn't with her leg still in his grasp. Thinking quickly, Hibari changed back, trying to shake the loop off before it could tighten around her now-smaller leg.

But the man proved to be faster than her. No sooner had she lost her extra limbs than Hibari found herself hitting the ground on her injured leg, making her see stars. She couldn't hold back the gasp of pain that escaped her as he drew nearer. "I'll admit, you fought pretty well girl, but you must admit that the outcome would be the same regardless." Hibari tried her best to glare up at him, but her vision was blurring, and his words gradually grew fuzzy even as his face drew very near hers. "You should say goodbye to your beloved Asteria, girl. While you can." Hibari reacted instantly, swinging her dagger towards him and allowing it to fly off as he give a pained and angry yell before blackness rushed in.

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Yeah, I know it's a little shorter than the others, but I wanted it to move the story forward without being a filler, so here's our first external conflict! Yay! Will our heroes reach their new friend in time, Or will she be shipped off to Sailand to be sold into servitude for the rest of her days? Tune in next time to find out! (Yes, I really did that)

Also, does anyone know where I can find a good map of this series? The ones in the manga don't show where any of the cities are except the capital. Reviews please, but I've actually received my first flames for one of my other stories, and they're quite discouraging. Please, if you must criticize, at least do so constructively, instead of the usual bullying I see on this site. Night everybody!


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